Hotels are racing to build indoor water parks, which offer family fun whatever the weather The beaches at the Lake Erie resort community of Sandusky, Ohio, are empty, the marina is closed, and the parks are covered in snow. But the Kalahari resort in town is packed. One of three hotels in Sandusky that have built indoor water parks to lure off-season tourists, the Kalahari offers four acres of rides and one million gallons of water under a giant high-tech plastic roof designed to allow visitors to sunbathe. As infants splash in a wading pool, teens careen through a giant…

April 21, 2014 4:19pm There was no question among the leaders at Lakewood Camping Resort that when it came time to add some amenities to the campground, a water park would be first on the list. Families love water parks — different parts appeal to different ages — and it would be well worth the investment, said Shannon Gomer, chairwoman of the board of directors and a member of the family that built Lakewood. The $2 million water park, which opened in the fall a few months later than expected, is the cornerstone of an overhaul of the 55-year-old campground aiming…

Author: Kira Vermond NIAGARA FALLS, ONT. — Special to The Globe and Mail Original Published Saturday, Oct. 21 2006, 12:00 AM EDT Last updated Wednesday, Mar. 11 2009, 10:29 PM EDT ‘This is going to be awesome,” exclaims the guy behind me in line as we wait for our turn on the Wooly Mammoth, a massive raft ride that whips riders down one of the largest serpentine tubes in the world. “For the last two days, I’ve been more excited than the kids.” His daughter, a little slip of a thing, looks more than a little embarrassed by her father’s enthusiasm. We’re…